Battery discharging from opening doors? How to disable the switch?

[Handmade Matt]

I had my Berlingo parked for about a week without driving. I'm doing some work on it so I was constantly opening the doors, and leaving them open. The interior lights were all switched off.

When the doors are opened it seems to wake up the computer, it displays eco mode and the car "knows you are there." Spooky. HaHa

Ironically, I think this eco mode drained the battery?!? It went flat twice, with a charge from the mains over night in between.

So, last week I charged the battery full and disconnected the earth. Low and behold, today I reconnected and the battery and she started fine... So this demonstrates that the battery is holding charge for at least 5days. (Which it wasn't doing when it was connected.)

So my question really is, how do I disable the switches that are operated when I open the sliding doors and the boot hatch?

On other cars I've had it's been a simple case, but seems a bit more illusive on the Berlingo because of the central locking.

Would everything be better if I manually unlocked the doors when parked for prolonged periods? Is the remote central locking that "wakes up" the computer perhaps?

Advice appreciated.
Many thanks.

[3rensho]

That's a really interesting observation Matt. Looks like the eco-mode has a flaw in that it can bypass itself. Seems like the responsible computer needs to be enabled to give the user a "charge me now or walk home" message when a certain absolute charge level is reached.

Tom

[Handmade Matt]

I would like to add, once my "Eco Mode" is activated it appears written on the screen even when I lock the car with the remote and leave it to stand. I have checked up to 30mins afterwards and it's still on....

...Is this the same on other Berlingos'?

[3rensho]

Mine was activated when I picked it up new (Berli had only been driven 6 km to fill the tank) and the salesman had to periodically start the car and let it run for a couple of minutes to get it to go out. Since then it has never been activated so I can't say.

Tom

[pk7478]

MattFreeman

Does in your car fitted aftermarket alarm system?

[Handmade Matt]

Not that I know of...

[pk7478]

Not that I know of...

And what about any aftermarket accesoires?
Like radios(except factory Philips) or some usb gadgets?

[Handmade Matt]

Nope.

[pk7478]

I suspect that you have problems with alternator. Battery discharging through faulty diodes.
Please, disconnect thick "+"wire( it must be #15 or #30) from alternator and leave your car for a week.

Be careful! Max. current that battery can transfer via wires - ca.300 Amperes!

(Please forgive me for poor English)

[Handmade Matt]

It turns out that the battery was knackered.
That's all.

Many thanks.